


The Token of Truth: The Secrets of Donald Duck

by RORYhomie



Series: The Token of Truth [1]
Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Deutsch | German, Donald-centric, Everybody is fine, Hurt Donald Duck, This is the longest thing I've ever written, and it's about ducks, but from Scrooge's point of view, don't worry he'll be alright, nobody except Donald understands anyway so don't worry, only a few sentences here and there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:35:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22588780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RORYhomie/pseuds/RORYhomie
Summary: Scrooge is looking for the map to the Token of Truth, a powerful magical artefact. His search for the map to this treasure leads him to one german town and a shop. The shop owner however doesn't speak English so it's on - Donald? How does he know German? And what did he tell the man?a.k.a. for the truth, you have to pay in secrets(p.s. it is implied that he used to be Paperinik, but it's never mentioned...just so that you know)
Series: The Token of Truth [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1625344
Comments: 8
Kudos: 169





	The Token of Truth: The Secrets of Donald Duck

**Author's Note:**

> translations in the end-notes (but you don't necessarily need them tho)
> 
> (the whole mall thing was insprired by my own visit of Germany, where I was looking for a museum and it ended up being in a mall and I could not find it - I did eventually and it was really cool but-bruh)

The famous adventurer Scrooge McDuck, his nephew Donald, his niece Della and her three sons Huey, Dewey and Louie, and his housekeeper’s granddaughter Webby (yes, the family dynamics is confusing indeed) were standing in a small, dusty shop in the German town of Schweinrin. It took them a long time to track this place, since it seemed that no one knew of its existence and it was hidden on highest floor of a big mall, without appearing on the internet website or even the map of the mall inside the mall itself.  
He looked around the shelves full of ancient artefacts, jewels and trinkets. He will definitely have to come back some time, but now he was after just one of its goods.

“Guten Tag, wie kann ich euch helfen? “sounded from behind the previously empty counter.

  
„Ach, aye, we are here to purchase a treasure map,” Scrooge walked up to the shopkeeper with a devious smile and continued:  
“The map to the Token of Truth, the artefact with the power to answer truthfully all of the universes biggest and most pressing questions, like what came first – the duck or the egg, how had life been created and what is its meaning or even how and where to find all of the world’s best hidden treasures. An artefact I am in search of for decades.”

  
The German shepherd however looked at him with confusion.  
“Entschuldigung, sprechen Sie Deutsch?”

  
“Ehmmm…” Everybody turned their eyes to Webby.

  
“How is your German lass?”

  
“I’m more into dead languages,” she mumbled embarrassed, “but I guess I could try?”

  
And she reached into her pocket to take out a small German to English dictionary. Scrooge just rolled his eyes - it was going to take a while. It had already taken a whole day to track this shop and another couple of hours to find it in this labyrinth of other shops. But suddenly Donald sighed, walked up to the poor soul behind the counter and spoke.

  
“Guten Tag, meine Familie, und ich, sucht nach einer Karte, die zu einem Schatz führt.“

  
The kids and Della looked on with utter disbelief. Scrooge just furrowed his eyebrows.

  
“Zu welchem Schatz? Ich habe mehreren Schatzkarten,“ said the shopkeeper with a smile and gestured into the shop.

  
“Hmmm…” Donald paused for a moment, “er hieß, vielleicht nennt man es anders auf Deutsch, aber, der Jeton der Wahrheit?“

His voice indicated a question, but his body language was comfortable and slightly lazy. Almost relaxed. Scrooge just narrowed his eyes; he wasn’t used to this Donald anymore. He suddenly looked younger, more confident – more like the little boy who used to visit him all those years ago.

  
“Aha!” called the shopkeeper excitedly, making everyone jump, “Sie meinen die Kundgebung der Wahrheit!”

  
And after Donald nodded, he reached for a yellowed scroll underneath the counter.  
But suddenly the man’s face darkened, and it almost seemed as if the shop had done so as well.

  
“Aber für die Wahrheit, muss man bezahlen.“ He whispered in a grave voice.

  
Scrooge had no idea, what had just been said. After fighting in the Second World War against the Germans, he had promised himself never to learn this language. A decision he now started to regret, since he didn’t like that young man’s tone at all. Or was he young? For a moment, his face seemed to be lined with deep wrinkles, but before he blinked, they were all gone.

To his surprise, Donald smiled in answer. “Das ist in Ordnung, der Greis hier hat viel Geld.“

  
But the smile quickly froze on his nephew’s face, as the man opposite him went on.

  
“Für die Wahrheit zahlt man nicht mit Geld, sondern nur auch mit Wahrheit. Und die kostbarste Wahrheit – sind Geheimnisse. “

  
Donald swallowed loudly and quickly glanced at Scrooge, then he turned back.

  
“Wie viele?” he said decidedly.

  
“Entweder ein großes oder drei kleinere,“ nodded the man.

  
Donald was thinking for a while, eyes closed, and the others were too amazed at this whole situation to disturb him. Scrooge just looked at his pocket watch impatiently, whatever Donald was doing, he could do faster. Maybe he’s trying to bargain? But probably not. It was Donald and when it came to Scrooge’s money, he didn’t think Donald would try.  
He almost started to tap his foot, when Donald snapped out of his trans and sadly turned back to the shopkeeper.

  
“Drei kleinere,” he said defeatedly.

  
„Sie haben kein, das groß genug wäre? “asked the shepherd raising his eyebrow.

  
Donald shook his head. „Nein, aber es ist zu geheim. Ich…ich kann es mit niemandem teilen.“

  
The other man nodded in understanding and stretched his hand over the counter. Donald did the same and laid his hand, palm up, on the shopkeepers, who then placed the map into Donald’s hand.

  
“Okay, so…can we go now?” asked Louie from behind Scrooge.

He looked tired and slightly uncomfortable. Scrooge understood, when you are used to seeing all the angles, it is hard to be in a situation completely beyond your controle.  
But Donald kept still, his hand on the counter, and the others took it as a no.

  
“Wie heißen Sie?” murmured the shopkeeper.

  
Donald said his name and Scrooge flinched, what it the man was a fae? Why did Donald tell him his name? He turned to Della, who mouthed What is going on? to which he could sadly just shrug.

  
“Sprich, Donald Duck, und offenbare der Karte deine Geheimnisse, “sounded the shopkeeper's voice from all around them.

At the same moment, the map started to emanate a slight yellow glow, which slowly spread onto Donald’s hand and up his arm.  
He just took a deep breath and spoke.

  
“Ich hasse mich selbst und denke, dass mich auch alle andere hassen. Einschließlich meiner Familie. “

  
The yellow light had reached his shoulder and it seemed to Scrooge that his nephew started to fold in on himself a little.

  
“Ich habe es mehrmals versucht mich zu töten.“

  
Donald’s voice was now a lot smaller and almost his entire body, except his feet and head, were engulphed in the strange unnatural light.

  
“Außer anderen Kriegen, habe ich auch in dem Zweiten Weltkrieg gekämpft.“

  
For a brief moment, his entire body shone bright and yellow like a lightbulb, before it stopped. Suddenly the shop came back to normal, and the shopkeeper closed Donald’s hand on the map.

  
“Die gehört jetzt Ihnen,” he said with an empathetic smile and added, „ich wieß, dass was Sie gesagt haben wahr ist und…es tut mir leid.“

  
And he squeezed Donald’s shoulder for a moment. Donald just smiled and murmured a quick danke schön, before ushering everybody out of the shop.

  
“What happened there?” demanded Dewey as they set foot behind its doorstep.

  
“It’s a magical map, you couldn’t pay for it with money.”

  
Louie furrowed his brows: “Then what did you pay with?”

  
“Ehmm…truth?” stuttered Donald and scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably.

  
“I think we are all overlooking the most important question here,” interrupted him Huey, “where did you learn German?”

  
This question apparently didn’t ease his discomfort.

  
“In the navy,” he retorted.

  
“What, you were actually in the navy?” asked Dewey again.

  
“Where did you think I got the sailor outfit from?” asked Donald back.

  
“We thought you were like a recreational sailor,” shrugged Louie.

  
Donald just scoffed and led them to the escalator.  
Scrooge overheard Della, talking to Webby.

  
“You are awfully quiet, is everything alright?”

  
“Well,” stuttered Webby.

  
Scrooge walked up to her a hugged her slightly. “Whatever it is lass, you can trust us with it,” he smiled.

She nodded.

“I didn’t understand anything Donald said, but I am pretty sure the shopkeeper apologized at the end,” she said quietly.

  
Della and Scrooge looked at each other with worry. And Webby caught on.

  
“Is he going to be alright?”

  
“Of course,” assured her Scrooge, “he’s Donald, don’t worry about him. He’ll survive anything!”

  
And they caught up with the rest and followed them on their search of a way out from the mall. Donald walked last, subconsciously still clutching the map in his fist.  
Scrooge just thought about the fact that he’d never asked his little nephew about his time on the sea.

**Author's Note:**

> Translations:  
> Guten Tag, wie kann ich euch helfen? - Good day, how may I help you?  
> Entschuldigung, sprechen Sie Deutsch? – Excuse me, do you speak German?  
> Guten Tag, meine Familie, und ich, sucht nach einer Karte, die zu einem Schatz führt. – Good day, my family, and I, is looking for map which leads to a treasure.  
> Zu welchem Schatz? Ich habe mehreren Schatzkarten. – To which treasure? I have more treasure maps.  
> er hieß, vielleicht nennt man es anders auf Deutsch, aber, der Jeton der Wahrheit? – it’s called, maybe you call it differently in German, the jetton of truth?  
> Sie meinen die Kundgebung der Wahrheit! – You mean the token of truth!  
> Aber für die Wahrheit, muss man bezahlen. – But one has to pay fort the truth.  
> Das ist in Ordnung, der Greis hier hat viel Geld. – That’s alright, the old man here has a lot of money.  
> Für die Wahrheit zahlt man nicht mit Geld, sondern nur auch mit Wahrheit. Und die kostbarste Wahrheit – sind Geheimnisse. – But for the truth one pays not with money but also with truth. And the rarest truth – are secrets.  
> Wie viele? – How many?  
> Entweder ein großes oder drei kleinere. – Either one bigger or three smaller.  
> Drei kleinere. – Three smaller.  
> Sie haben kein, das groß genug wäre? – You have none, that would be big enough?  
> Nein, aber es ist zu geheim. Ich kann es mit niemandem teilen. – No but it’s too secret. I can’t share it with anyone.  
> Wie heißen Sie? – What are you called?  
> Sprich, Donald Duck, und offenbare der Karte deine Geheimnisse. – Speak, Donald Duck, and show the map your secrets.  
> Ich hasse mich selbst und denke, dass mich auch alle andere hassen. Einschließlich meiner Familie. – I hate myself and think that everybody hates me as well. Including my family.  
> Ich habe es mehrmals versuchen mich zu töten. – I’ve tried to kill myself multiple times.  
> Ich habe auch in dem Zweiten Weltkrieg gekämpft. – I’ve fought in the Second World War.  
> Die gehört jetzt Ihnen. – It belongs to you now.  
> Ich wieß, dass was Sie gesagt haben wahr ist und…es tut mir leid. – I know that what you’d said it true and…I am sorry.  
> danke schön – thank you nicely


End file.
